Athletic shoe with rearfoot strike zone

Athletic footwear comprising an upper and a sole attached to said upper;

• said sole including a cushioning portion extending over a heel area of said sole, and a rearfoot strike zone located at a rear lateral corner of said heel area, said rearfoot strike zone being articulated in relation to the remaining heel area along a line of flexion delimiting said rearfoot strike zone;
• said cushioning portion comprising differential cushioning means for reducing the compressive stiffness of the rearfoot strike zone relative to at least a medial side portion of the remaining heel area, said differential cushioning means including a first sealed resilient substantially gas-filled bladder chamber extending within said rearfoot strike zone and not inside said medial side portion, and a second resilient substantially gas-filled bladder chamber fluidically isolated from the first chamber and extending along at least a medial side of said remaining heel area and not inside said rearfoot strike zone, the compressive stiffness of said first chamber being decreased relative to said second chamber;
• wherein, said line of flexion extends from a first end located along a rear medial side of the sole to a second end located along a lateral side of the sole, said second end being adjacent to or rearward of a nominal location of the junction of the calcaneus and cuboid bones of the foot, and said first end being located such that a line drawn from a nominal location of the weight bearing center of the heel to said first end forms a 10.degree. to 50.degree. angle with respect to a central longitudinal axis of the sole.